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An MBA Alumnus on the Executive Board of the ECB

, by Fabio Todesco, translated by Jenna Walker
Jörg Asmussen, originally from Germany, came to Italy to attend the SDA Bocconi Master in Business Administration taught in English during 1991-1992. He will take office on the European Central Bank Board on 1 January 2012

The European Council has recently officially named the German national Jörg Asmussen, an alumnus of the SDA Bocconi MBA, a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECB), substituting the resigning Jürgen Stark. Asmussen will take office on 1 January 2012. Jörg Asmussen attended the English version of the SDA Bocconi MBA during the 1991-1992 academic year.

Asmussen headshot
Jörg Asmussen

"During those years, SDA Bocconi was starting to internationalize its MBA," says the former Director of the program, Luigi Tava. "And a German student choosing to do an MBA in Italy represented a significant openness towards credibility, in addition to demonstrating a particularly open attitude."

Another faculty member during his MBA, Severino Salvemini, remembers Asmussen as "a very diligent student who was particularly fond of Italy." The adjectives used the most by his classmates were "serious" and "intelligent." Outside the classroom, he was interested in art, theater, cinema and volleyball.

Asmussen said he wanted to attend the MBA with the specific objective of learning management skills which, paired with the macroeconomic knowledge he gained during his university studies in Bonn, would allow him to be comfortable in the role to which he aspired of public official.

The Executive Board of the ECB, made up of the President and Vice President of the Bank and 4 other members, has the responsibility of "preparing Governing Council meetings," says the ECB website, in addition to "implementing monetary policy for the euro area in accordance with the guidelines specified and decisions taken by the Governing Council and giving the necessary instructions to the euro area NCBs, managing the day-to-day business of the ECB and exercising certain powers delegated to it by the Governing Council."

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